


Lest You Suffer In Silence

by sunlian



Series: tumblr prompts [5]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Injury, Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fill, need to write more of these 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 09:46:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14668461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunlian/pseuds/sunlian
Summary: Based on the prompt: “I’m going to take care of you, okay?”





	Lest You Suffer In Silence

**Author's Note:**

> a tumblr prompt that got a bit long and one I liked enough to post here :x
> 
> I’m taking commissions! hmu @sunlian.tumblr.com

In the tent across from her, Tabris groaned, again, blankets rustling as she twitched and thrashed in pain. It wasn’t as as bad as it had been, and even without the reassurances from Wynne and Morrigan, Leliana knew that the venom that had coated the edge of blade that had cut her was not lethal, merely excruciating, meant to weaken a target to the point of immobility. While the worst had passed, it would still be a few more hours until the poison would be completely flushed from her bloodstream.

A few more agonising hours.

The warden had insisted she wanted to be left alone once the wound had been patched up, and everyone had respected that, but Leliana was struggling to follow that request. She hated this, hated seeing the elf in pain, or hearing her in pain. She hadn’t felt like this in years, but it was how she felt. Perhaps she more empathetic then she had been when she was younger. Maybe it was a sense of debt- Tabris had a habit of checking up on her first, taking watches with her, generally making sure she was safe. Or, maybe, just maybe, it was something else, something-

A low hissing groan escapes from the tent beside her, and Leliana is on her feet, spare poultices in hand, and peeking into the wardens’ tent before she really recognises what she’s doing.

Tabris hardly speaks when she isn’t poisoned, and all she manages in response to the red head suddenly poking through the flaps of her tent is another groan, a noise that Leliana takes as invitation, slipping soundlessly into the tent.

She’s dressed in old trousers and a stained tunic, the most obvious stain being a recent patch of wet dark blood. Tabris has her hand pressed to it. It obviously isn’t working. Leliana clicks her tongue and hums sadly; no wonder she’s in so much pain. She should’ve done something sooner

“Your bandage needs to be changed. And you need another poultice on the wound. Let me help?”

She phrases it as a question, but truthfully, she’s not sure what she’ll do if Tabris says no. She’s not a fan of being touched at the best of times, especially not by humans, and while Leliana is confident in the fact that the two of them are friends, she won’t push that boundary. Not now, not ever.

Thankfully, Tabris doesn’t say no. She starts to sit up, tugging up her tunic just enough to reveal the soaked through dressings. Leliana almost sighs in relief but manages not to, instead scooting closer and starting to gently remove the bloodied dressings, grabbing a cloth to wipe away the excess and drying blood as she goes, quietly thankful that Tabris is insistent about always having medical supplies in her tent.

“The poison thins blood, preventing the wound from clotting and closing, in addition to being very painful,” she says idly, feeling familiar keen eyes on her as she works, “it’s designed to immobilise through pain, or kill with infection. Common in battlefield assassinations.”

Tabris simply hums in reply, as Leliana quietly scolds herself for that little bit of oversharing. With one last gentle movement, the final strip of bandage falls away, Tabris looks down with a nod, reaching for a poultice near the opened kit.

“Wait,” She says, grabbing her wrist, meeting Tabris’ eyes in the dim light, “I’m going to take care of you, okay?”

Dark eyes meet her pale ones, and once again Leliana finds herself unable to see what lies behind them. She can’t tell if she’s pushed too far. It feels like their own private eternity passes, just between the two of them.

Tabris tugs her hand back, sliding out of her soft grip, and nods at her, lying back down but keeping her upper body slightly propped up by resting on her arms, eyes flickering from the wound back up to Leliana.

“Okay... thank you,” she mumbles, finally settling on starting at the ground next to her, and not Leliana’s softly smiling face.

Absolutely adorable. Far better than seeing her face twisted up in pain. As she applies the poultice, Tabris speaks up again,

“Can you stay? After... in case it starts bleeding a lot again?”

Far from the smoothest excuse, she muses to herself, smiling nonetheless.

“Yes, of course I can stay.”


End file.
